(*) - The party status of this electorate has been changed due to the retirement of the sitting MP. See below for details.

MP

The retiring MP is Independent Loraine Braham. She has represented the seat since 1994, as a CLP MP until losing party endorsement in November 2000, re-elected in both 2001 and 2005 as an Independent.

Profile

Braitling covers the north-west corner of Alice Springs, bounded by the Council boundary, the Todd River, Stott Terrace and Larapinta Drive. Braitling is named after the local pioneering family of Mrs Doreen Braitling of Mount Doreen Station. The electorate includes the former terminus of the Central Australia railway, the railway now extending through the electorate before heading north to Darwin.

Redistribution

Gains parts of the Alice Spings CBD north of Stott Terrace from Araluen, while also gaining all of the Town Camps in the northern parts of Alice Springs from Stuart. On a two-party preferred basis, this cuts the CLP majority from 8.4% to 8.0%.

History/Trivia

Created before the 1983 election, Braitling has shifted around Alice Springs from election to election, in 1987 and 1990 straddling across the north of the town on both sides of the Todd River, but since 1994 confined to northern Alice Springs on the west bank of the Todd. It was held from 1983-94 by the CLP's Roger Vale, who previously represented Stuart 1974-83, switching seats when the Parliament was expanded from 19 to 25 seats. Vale was succeeded by Loraine Braham, who was re-elected in 1997 before losing CLP endorsement ahead of the 2001 election. She resigned from the party and contested the 2001 election as an Independent. After trailing on primary votes, she coasted to a comfortable victory on Labor preferences, repeating the victory in 2005, though by a narrower 62 votes. Despite Labor winning office in its own right at the 2001 election, the Martin government chose to support the election of Braham as Speaker. With an inflated backbench after its 2005 landslide, the Labor Party chose to make one of its own members Speaker in place of Braham for its second term in government.

Main Candidates

The Country Liberal candidate is Adam Giles, who grew up in the Blue Mountains in NSW, with an indigenous connection to the Pilliga region of north-west NSW. He worked as a public servant in Canberra while completing an MBA, and was the Liberal candidate in the Canberra seat of Fraser at the 2004 Federal election. He moved to Central Australia several years ago and was the CLP candidate in Lingiari at the 2007 election. He has previously been employed by both ATSIC and in the Department of Prime Minister working on indigenous economic and social policy. His three opponents are Labor's Charlie Dick, Alice Springs councillor and Greens candidate Jane Clark, and runner and sporting identity Eli Melky, who is campaigning with the support of retiring MP Loraine Braham.

Assessment

With the retirement of Loraine Braham, Braitling looks certain to be won by the Country Liberals.